Register TODAY by email to lorie@atasteofparis.net

When Lauren Palmer, the editor of The Art of Living Beautifully asked me to develop a grapefruit guacamole recipe for the summer issue of the magazine, I was skeptical. The inherit problem with grapefruit is their intense bitterness. As I thought about the combination, I began to get really excited.

The key to a great tasting guac is cutting the fruit into supremes. This method of preparation takes most of the bitterness from the fruit leaving behind that unmistakable, juicy, citrus flavor.

Lauren and I created this video to show you how to cut grapefruits into supremes. This method works really well for oranges too!

I hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as I do and the many taste tester friends, I made it for this spring!

The French Riviera; playground for the rich and famous, will be the back drop for an amazing adventure for 7 travelers, in April 2020.

The vibrant coastal town of Nice will be our hub for this week-long exploration of the area and Nice has it all. The magnificent cerulean blue Mediterranean ocean on one side, and 3 mountain caps on the other, home to the sweetest villages I have ever encountered.

This village with the fortress wall around it, is tucked into the mountains and is begging to be explored.

The colorful city center of Nice is packed with cafes that spill into the streets, with a waft of the Provencal flavors in the air and the casual nature of these establishments hint at the warmth of its people.

Not far from this is SHOPPING! Nice is a larger city so all of the high-end brands are available and plenty of moderately priced options too!

Markets in this region of France abound and all with their own flair. I always love seeing the beautiful spices and…

…the candied fruits; confiture, a delicacy of the region.

Don’t even get me started on the food.

Nice is very close to the Italian border so there is PASTA, so tasty and yet still served with the elegance that can only be associated with France.

Hey you guys! Come see me at UP Inspired Kitchen, this Thursday from 9:00-1:00 and enjoy one of my fresh macarons on us! I’ll be on hand to demonstrate this magnificent French treat!

If it’s not already, UP will be one of your new favorite places!

The breakfast AND lunch menu is full of clean, honestly sourced foods that makes you feel great. UP Inspired Kitchen is a on a mission to inspire you to feel your best, so you can BE your best!

Experiencing new cultures and traveling with friends is one of the best ways to Live UP!

We’ll take your taste buds on a Parisian culinary adventure without even having to pack your suitcase. So stop by UP Inspired Kitchen on Thursday for a French macaron, stay for some coffee and enter to win some French treats!

This is Mary who led us in a wonderful class on the effervescent world of French Champagne.

We tasted lots of champagne and other goodies

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Charcuterie, Gougeres and the acclaimed Gillardeau oysters known as the Rolls-Royce of oysters.

Without a doubt the best part was watching ATOP travelers pop the bottles.

Our expert, Mary, was teaching us how to open the bottle “so that it gives a soft sigh, much like that of a satisfied women” not a loud pop!

To open the bottle, take off the foil wrapper, keep your thumb on the top of the bottle, twist the wire tab towards yourself, six times. Keeping your thumb on the top, and hand over the wire cage, now twist the bottle, not the cork until it releases with a sigh.

I’ll be practicing this new way but I won’t lie, I love the loud pop champagne makes! It lets me know a party is about to start!

The three special ladies you see see in this post will be featured on my Facebook page atasteofparistrips and on Instagram stories @atasteofparis, this week. I hope you will check it out!

MOMS do so much for everyone else! I love when they do something for themselves like travel to FRANCE with me!

It’s a Parisian Picnic right here in McKinney!! Did you know French picnics are one of my favorite things? I’ll be showing you how I create them for my husband and I on the reg. Such a great way to spend and evening or entertain friends.

You don’t need a passport to enjoy a French-style picnic! This delicious, hands-on Spring experience will include a basket, yours to keep, full of goodies sourced from local businesses as well as surprise giveaways. We’ll meet at Mitchell Park in Historic Downtown McKinney to eat well and learn picnic essentials.

Looking for a fantastic new twist on Deviled eggs for your Easter table or spring fête? Check out my recipe for Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs that I created for The Art of Living Beautifully’s Spring 2019 magazine. Did you know you can now order this beautiful publication in print? Check it out!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend filled with worship, family and plenty of Easter eggs!

Smoked Salmon and Dill Deviled Eggs

6 large eggs

¼ cup minced smoked salmon, plus more for garnish

¼ cup cream cheese

¼ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced green onion

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Paprika for garnish

12 dill fronds for garnish

Place 6 eggs in the bottom of a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to boil over medium heat. Cover and remove from heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Remove eggs from water and allow to cool. Peel eggs, cut them in half lengthwise and pop yolks out into a bowl. Place egg whites on a serving platter. Add minced salmon, cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper to the yolks and mix very well. Place yolk mixture into a zip top bag, using scissors snip the corner of the bag and pipe mixture into the cavity of each egg white. Sprinkle filled eggs with paprika, add bit of salmon and dill to each egg for garnish. Chill for 1-4 hours before serving.

May 3rd 10:30-1:00 Make and Take Dinner for Two- A new offering in the cooking school! Come and take a cooking class and take home a 4-course dinner for two. Share it with your spouse or a friend! This class promises to be lively and full of fun!

On the Menu: Appetizer- Blue Cheese Pecan Crusted Grapes is a flavor explosion

June 21st 10:30-1:00 Make and Take Dinner for Two- A new offering in the cooking school! Come and take a cooking class and take home a 4-course dinner for two. Share it with your spouse or a friend! This class promises to be lively and full of fun!

On the Menu: Appetizer- We will master the art of precious Chinese Dumplings in both Pork and Vegetarian varieties and dipping sauce.

Starter- Thai Lettuce Wraps with chicken

Main- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry with Pineapple Fried Rice

Dessert-Precious Pound Cakes with Sweet Citrus Compote

Spinach Salad and French Bread will be served with iced tea. Class Fee $64.50

The world watched in horror as Notre Dame, Our Lady Cathedral in Paris, France, burned for hours on Monday, April 15th, 2019. I was in Paris having just returned to my hotel after being near Notre Dame when the fire broke out.

The video you see above was taken on April 11th, 2019 when I visited Notre Dame with my A Taste of Paris, 2019 group. I feel very thankful that I took this tiny snippet, I don’t usually take video or pictures here as I have visited so many times but, on this day, I had been searching for several new artifacts.

Notre Dame is ALWAYS on the list of sites to visit with my groups, it has to be one of the most memorable and emotional places we go.

When you think about the fact that this structure is almost 900 years old, the very first stone was laid in 1163, it gives you chills. As you enter the structure and see all of the painstaking details, you began to understand just what it must have been like in mid evil times to carry and hoist each and every stone to construct this Gothic marvel. Notre Dame was completed in 1345 taking 182 years to build. Now that is awesome.

Notre Dame de Paris at night

A few facts about Notre Dame you might not know:

When Notre Dame was built it could hold 10,000 people for worship, standing of course, there were no pews.

Notre Dame was built on the exact site of the pagan temple of Jupiter built by the Romans in the 6th century.

In 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned the first emperor of France here.

Victor Hugo’s, Hunchback of Notre Dame was completed, in 1831. At that time, the cathedral was in a terrible state of disrepair. As the novel gained in popularity, people began to visit Notre Dame and the French government decided to restore this massive beauty.

The crown of thorns worn by Jesus, a nail from his cross and a piece of the cross are housed in the crypt at Notre Dame, in the deepest part of the structure. These artifacts are brought out for viewing only 1 time a year, on Good Friday. Luckily, these artifacts were saved from the fire.

Notre Dame is one of the largest religious structure in the world.

Every year more that 13 million people visit Notre Dame

The above image is the center front facade of Notre Dame. You dont have a complete picture here but what you are looking at is Jesus in the center with his 12 apostles, Peter being just to His left. Above Jesus you will see the last judgement taking place. I love sharing this scene with my travelers in great detail and cannot tell you how grateful I am that it is still standing.

The French have vowed to rebuild Notre Dame and hope to have it completed within 5 years. I look forward to watching the progress that I am sure will amaze.

I would love to hear from you guys about you first visit to Notre Dame or any detail you would like to share!

By the time you read this I’ll be in Paris preparing for my A Taste of Paris 2019 group! I thought it might be fun to share a French favorite with YOU. You can make a Lemon Tart and enjoy a taste of Paris along with us!

Follow all of the FUN on Instagram @atasteofparis.net or Facebook by liking the atasteofparistrips page.

To prepare the crust, combine flour sugar and salt in a food processor and process to combine. Add cold butter cut into cubes and process until dough forms a ball. Prepare tart pan by coating with butter or non-stick spray. Press crust into pan evenly. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chill crust for 15 minutes in the freezer. Prick bottom of crust with fork and bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned. To prepare filling, combine sugar and cream cheese and whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, next add lemon zest and juice and mix well. Pour into tart shell and bake for 25-30 minutes until filling is set. To prepare topping, combine cream and sugar in a bowl, whip with and electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Pipe onto cooled tart and serve.

A Taste of Paris-April 13-20th, 2020

A Taste of Paris- The French Rivera and Monaco March 25th-April 1st

A Taste of Paris- Wine Lovers Burgundy and the Champagne Regions September 9th-17th 2020

May 3rd 10:30-1:00 Make and Take Dinner for Two-A new offering in the cooking school! Come and take a cooking class and take home a 4-course dinner for two. Share it with your spouse or a friend! This class promises to be lively and full of fun!

June 21st 10:30-1:00 Make and Take Dinner for Two- A new offering in the cooking school! Come and take a cooking class and take home a 4-course dinner for two. Share it with your spouse or a friend! This class promises to be lively and full of fun!

On the Menu:

Appetizer- We will master the art of precious Chinese Dumplings in both Pork and Vegetarian varieties and dipping sauce.

Starter- Thai Lettuce Wraps with chicken

Main- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry with Pineapple Fried Rice

Dessert-Precious Pound Cakes with Sweet Citrus Compote

Spinach Salad and French Bread will be served with iced tea. Class Fee $64.50